Community will test wildfire plans and routes in a voluntary simulation aimed at boosting emergency preparedness
By Sydney Seymour, Ashland.news
At 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11, Ashland will experience the first-of-its-kind voluntary evacuation drill, initiated by a Jackson County Alert text message to those registered for the event. They expect participants to arrive at the evacuation destination — Ashland Municipal Airport — around 10 a.m. for the city to receive feedback until 11:30 a.m.
“Firefighters train every day,” Ashland’s Emergency Manager Kelly Burns said to Ashland.news. “This is a chance for the community to now train. One of the most important things that we need to practice in the Pacific Northwest is how to evacuate. Evacuations are a reality where we live, and so it’s building some muscle memory and getting some training for locals and being able to test out their plan.”
To prevent overflowing the airport, Burns said the city has a designated area and a certain traffic pattern to follow. While there is no requirement by the city to participate, participants will practice evacuation routes, what to pack and prepare for how to help neighbors during an emergency.
The event is conducted with Boise State University. Data from the drill will be used in a larger research project conducted by researchers with Boise State University Hazard and Climate Resilience Institute and Clemson University.
They are working with Ashland to “better understand how families might respond during a wildfire evacuation,” according to their pre-event survey on evacuation preparation time and a household’s response to wildfire emergency preparedness.
The project on household wildfire response will help identify best practices to protect Ashland, according to Burns and the research survey. The drill will test the city’s traffic system and help the city improve traffic control and evacuation routes. It will also give locals the experience of what it’s like to evacuate with slower traffic.
The deets
Click here by Tuesday, Oct. 7, to register to participate in the community evacuation drill and to receive detailed instructions on how and where to participate. Click here to view a map of evacuation drill destination. Be ready by reviewing the pre-drill check list (click here to view).
He hopes not only to benefit the community in Ashland, but also others. Representatives from the University of Greenwich in London, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Research Council Canada and the U.S. Fire Administration will attend and observe the drill to learn from it and eventually contribute to the broader science of evacuations across the world.
Burns, who was also the battalion chief for Ashland Fire & Rescue during the Almeda Fire, continued, “We can lead the way and get other people to spark interest in actually practicing their evacuations. Because of the Almeda experience, we have an appetite for this. The whole valley has an appetite for it. It’s personal for me, Ashland and our Jackson County region.”
Burns also explained that experiencing and debriefing the drill with neighbors will strengthen the community’s resilience. He added, “It’s not something many communities are able to do.”
Considering a recent evacuation plan for individuals experiencing homelessness and staying at the city’s designated camping area, Burns said he would ask Opportunities for Housing, Resources & Assistance, the organization managing the plan, if they would like to participate in the drill. This could include picking up a few people from the Dusk to Dawn lawn and taking them to the evacuation drill destination.
Burns hopes the upcoming drill will generate interest in conducting another drill in the spring to prepare for wildfire season.
The city website affirms, “This drill is not just about personal safety, it’s about community resilience. Every household that participates strengthens Ashland’s collective preparedness.”
Email Ashland.news Snowden reporting intern Sydney Seymour at sydneyseymourr@gmail.com.
